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Chevrolet Malibu MPG-Real World Numbers

470 messages,  Last post on Mar 26, 2013 at 8:58 AM

You are in the Chevrolet Malibu Forum.

What is this discussion about? Chevrolet Malibu, Chevrolet Malibu Maxx, Fuel Efficiency (MPG), Hatchback, Sedan

Messages Page 13 of 48

#117 of 470 Re: 39.9 MPG [gdubya2] by malexbu

Jan 07, 2007 (3:56 pm)

Replying to: gdubya2 (Jan 03, 2007 3:08 am)
Thank you for the update, gdubya2!
 
I've been wondering about your results for that upcoming trip '"up
north" in Manistee' (see post #100).
 
Glad to hear from you and read your report with great interest.
 
,-- You=gdubya2 [ Jan 03, 2007 (2:08 am) ]
|
| Just an update on my experiences over the past 11 months with my
| 2006 LS sedan... I've averaged 30.177 mpg during those miles with a
| high of 40.12 mpg and a low of 23.38 mpg. I live in a suburban
| community so most of my driving is not stop and go city stuff.
 
Since you talk here about more than the fuel economy, I will also give
a more or less comprehensive account of my experience with my two
Malibus -- it is especially appropriate now, since the second one just
turned one year of the ownership.
 
  [ Both cars are Malibu 2005, Base Sedan, with slightly different
    options ]
 
I bought the first one in May 2005, right after checking it out by
accident at a dealership -- just left my six-year old Bonneville there
and drove off the lot in the new car. (Some surprise for the
family later that day...
 
By the end of year 2005, we (the family) knew that that spontaneous
purchase was a wise one -- Malibu had been really good to us, the
amazing fuel economy included. And (every owner will know it) -- what
a comfortable and practical car!...
 
So, comes the end of 2005, I am in love with my Bu and so on December
30th, when amazingly good deals can be made, I go to take a look at
another dealer's lot and... the next thing I know, I call my wife --
"Hey, I am at a dealership... I just bought another car... We'll talk
later..." Mind you -- I am the only driver in the family at that
stage...
 
And so it happened that on January 3rd, 2006, there turned out to be
two white Malibu's in my driveway, and every morning I needed to make
a tough decision which one to drive... Thankfully, in the summer my
daughter got the license and it became easier to make the choice. (In
honesty, I bought the second car because I knew she'd need one within
a year and after casually looking at some alternatives, including
Cobalt, I didn't want anything but a Malibu for her. And I didn't
want anything else for myself, either.)
 
Here are the numbers for the cars (both are normally driven "more city
than highway"):
 
    +---------------------+-------+-------+-------+
    |---------------------| Bu1 --| Bu2 --| Bu2* -|
    +---------------------+-------+-------+-------+
    | Odometer (miles) ---| 13664 | 13658 | 10917 |
    | Speed avg (mph) ----| 22 -- | 28 ---| 27 ---|
    | Speed high (mph) ---| 30 -- | 59 ---| 49 ---|
    | Economy low (mpg) --| 20.8 -| 21.0 -| 21.0 -|
    | Economy high (mpg) -| 29.2 -| 36.3 -| 34.0 -|
    +---------------------+-------+-------+-------+

Why three columns for two cars? Because I wanted to exclude the
largest distorting factor -- the June 2006 round-trip of 2741 miles,
which was all highway (although in suboptimal conditions -- see my
June postings). So the "Bu2*" columns is calculated with that trip
excluded. The average and high speed in the table should give you the
idea of my driving patterns.
 
The table above is produced on the basis of the numbers I collect
after each fill-up. Speed numbers are taken off the DIC, of course,
with zeroing the reading after the read. Economy is calculated as
"miles driven divided by gasoline purchased" -- the information shown
by DIC is always way too optimistic (up to two MPG).
 
| I have done one oil change myself, using Mobil One, and have had the
| tires rotated. That's it - no recalls, no warranty work, nothing! I
| absolutly could not be happier with any other car.
 
I change oil to synthetic (Mobil One or Castrol Syntec) myself, at
about 7500 miles passed. And I rotate the tires myself, too, also
keeping my eye on the proper inflation.
 
No recalls in my history, either.
 
I had two very minor things taken care of under the warranty:
 
  * Bu1 had a rubber hit protector on the trunk arm fallen out -- the
    rubber was defective originally.
 
  * Bu2 had a slight scratching noise at low speeds (while cold) in a
    front wheel. It turned out to be the wheel bearing defect -- the
    dealer replaced it and all has been well since then.
 
The total of time I spent at the dealership (not counting the
purchases, obviously) is under one day -- i.e. for both cars together.
 
| I think it is such a great automobile for the money and would not
| hesitate for a second in recommending it to anyone.
 
And so would I...
 
Various people would want various things in their car, of course. We
all want at least some minimum set of options. I know the value of
ABS, for example, and want it in my car. The remote starter is a
convenience which I appreciate more and more, but probably could live
without (oh, wait... maybe not...)
 
But apart from the minimum set of features, I want just two things in
my cars:
 
   * Fuel economy.
 
   * Reliability and the minimum maintenance cost and effort. I hated
     spending hours at the dealer before I got my Bu1. I don't want to
     do that ever again.
 
In this respect (as in all others, in fact), after more than 27,000
miles combined in my cars, I couldn't be happier about them. (Thank
you Chevy, again!)
 
| I have seen the photos of the 2008 Malibu and intend to go to the
| North American Auto Show in Detroit in a couple of weeks to take a
| look at it first hand. I am a little concerned that the new styling
| has lowered the roof heigth and will make getting in and out of the
| car more difficult - something I really do not like about my wife's
| Buick LaCrosse.
 
I saw the photos as well, did like what I saw but have the same
concerns. This car is *practical*. I love the space over my head, the
ease of getting in and out, knowing that all the passengers are extra
comfortable, and wouldn't change this practicality and comfort for the
smoother roof lines. (I know what you mean talking about LaCrosse...
And did you try the latest Pontiacs -- G6 and GrandPrix?... I don't
think I'd enjoy riding in their back seats...)
 
Some people find the current Malibu's design a disaster (see the
"2008" discussion). That's fine with me -- I don't need other people
to love my car. I am inside and I like what I see and what I feel.
But I also noticed that my eye sort of has trained on Malibu's shapes
over the time. When I see it -- the sedan or Maxx -- on the road, my
heart jumps with joy -- it's such a neat car. When I walk around my
cars, I find them beautiful. And hey, they are -- it appears that
most of the photos of the current Malibus are taken from some
ridiculous angles, ruining the image of the car -- the car "alive"
makes quite a different impression on me than the pictures I usually
see.
 
Anyway, best wishes to Chevy and all us Malibu owners -- and thank you
for listening!

#118 of 470 Re: 39.9 MPG [malexbu] by gdubya2

Jan 07, 2007 (9:38 pm)

Replying to: malexbu (Jan 07, 2007 3:56 pm)
Thanks for the interest in my post. Unfortunately, my summer plans were altered when my father became very ill shortly after my July post(#100). He was placed under hospice care in early August and passed away October 30. I was his home care provider and as a result have made only one trip to Manistee since my earlier post. That was a quick trip to winterize the house and I did not concern myself with fuel mileage on that occasion. I do plan to track my fuel usage when I start to make frequent trips again next spring. I will post my results here.

#119 of 470 2004 Average MPG by kpugh2

Jan 18, 2007 (10:02 am)

My wife drives a 2004 Malbiu with V6. Purchased new in NOv 03.
Today the car has 57,744 total miles and pumped 2,108.26 gallons od gas. Average 26.9 mpg with average fuel cost of $2.03 per gallon.
Average speed is in low 40's

#120 of 470 Re: 2004 Average MPG [kpugh2] by csandste

Jan 18, 2007 (11:36 am)

Replying to: kpugh2 (Jan 18, 2007 10:02 am)
The old-timey ohv engine is being shamed into retirement with the new generation platform. Looking at that kind of mpg, combined with low low maintenance costs, I at least will miss it (of course I'm planning on keeping my Maxx for a very long time).

#121 of 470 engine selection by gohtraw

Feb 05, 2007 (9:11 pm)

I did not see any posts by a fellow owner of the 2006 SS model. I wanted to know why so few people by the 3.9L V6. It is simply a better engine, more power, fine fuel economy at highway speeds, and it is smoother and quieter than any other available engine. Acceleration at any speed seems effortless with 90% of the 240 lb x ft of torque available from 2200 to 6000 rpm. It will probably have a longer life too due to the fact that it does not have to work too hard. The SS model also offers a ton of standard equipment at a far more affordable price than a Camry or an Accord. When I was looking at Malibu's I felt that the SS while not the cheapest, was by far the best deal. I got mine with a sun roof from just over 21k (haggled down).

#122 of 470 Re: 2004 Average MPG [csandste] by gohtraw

Feb 05, 2007 (9:13 pm)

Replying to: csandste (Jan 18, 2007 11:36 am)
The pushrod engine is probably not going to go extinct. It is cheaper to build and allows for more displacement in the same amount of space. This allows for longer strokes which creates most of all more torque.

#123 of 470 not the engine... by kurtamaxxxguy

Mar 27, 2007 (9:42 am)

One (of two) problems with the Maxx SS is not the engine, which is definitely a nicer motor than what's in the rest of the Malibu line. It's the 4 speed transmission, which Chevy decided to regear with a very steep final drive ratio for the Maxx SS. Result is the motor's all wound up during freeway driving and the car uses way more fuel than it should.
The other problem is the big wheel diameter, which hurts maneuverability as well as ride quality.
 
The Malibu SS, apparently, is geared the same as the regular Maxx line. That combination seems to work much better.

#124 of 470 Re: 2004 Average MPG [gohtraw] by shadow5599

Mar 27, 2007 (10:22 am)

Replying to: gohtraw (Feb 05, 2007 9:13 pm)
It's kinda funny, how many of us like the pushrod engine and it's simplicity, sound, power. Over in the Chevrolet Malibu vs. Toyota Camry vs. Honda Accord discussion, the Japanese fans have to continually talk about them as antiquated, noisy, old technology, etc. The fuel economy on a Malibu beats an Accord or Camry, not bad for "antiquated"
 
They work well, they're simple, they get fantastic gas mileage, cheap to fix, very reliable, quiet. I guess all they can say bad about them is that they are an old design, which is true but not necessarily bad. Come on over, put in your two cents.

#125 of 470 Re: 2004 Average MPG [shadow5599] by gonogo

Mar 28, 2007 (2:17 pm)

Replying to: shadow5599 (Mar 27, 2007 10:22 am)
The new Corvette has pushrods and it is a world beater.

#126 of 470 Poor MPG by ssan

Jul 03, 2007 (3:01 pm)

Maybe someone can help me. I own a 2007 Malibu Maxx LT V6, it has 4,000 miles on it and has had one oil change. I understand the car may still be breaking in but up to this point the best I have seen the car get is 19.9 mpg. The mileage is usually between 17-19mpg, this is a pretty even mix of around town and high way with maybe slightly more around town. It seems most people I talk to or read about get much better mileage than I do. On a recent 160 mile trip at 70-75 the whole way I averaged about 21.3. I have used the computer on the car and calculated trip mileage/gallons used, the results are usually identical. Is there something I can do? I have contacted the dealer and they seem puzzled/unwilling to help.

Messages Page 13 of 48

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